Link: Enchanted Hen Productions Ostrich Eggshell Jewelry

Yes, I am excited.  This is the first batch since moving to the Land of Enchantment, and it’s a good feeling to be settled in my studio and producing again.

It’s always interesting to see the final results as opposed to the work-in-progress.  The pieces might start out kind of uninteresting, until I get the final coat of finish on them, adding depth and bringing out the colors.  My fave result was with the simple design of the Trypillian Spiral earrings which were fairly cool looking in production but the black on brick contrast was much more dramatic when finished.

And then there are the Ukrainian designs with their warm reds and golds – they’re so pretty, I’ll post a picture here.

And this is just the first batch!  I still have a ton of work ahead of me and more new designs, but it does please me to get the first group out.

So I better get back to it!

Oh, first a Heads-Up  for those of you that are not on my email list yet:  There is a 25% discount for my subscribers through the end of March.  Sign up for my Enchanted Hen Newsletter (located to your right, on the sidebar) to get the coupon code.

Allright, I’m really going back to work now . . .

Nan

You know, I believe I discover something new every time I make a batch of jewelry.

Of course, I tend to discover it at the end of my batch instead of the beginning (where I could apply it to more pieces), but – oh well.  Next batch I can plan the design ahead and really experiment with this particular innovation.

It’s nothing real exciting (well, it is to me).  When dyeing the pieces, if I have a dark color background that has not been waxed, and I want to lighten it up a bit, I usually soak the shell piece in a weak solution of bleach.  I have to be careful though, because the bleach can dry out the shell (much like it does my fingers).  Then I brush it with an old toothbrush, maybe bleach some more until I get the result I want.

The thing about bleach and dyes, though – it doesn’t always clear out the color.  Sometimes it just fades the color to a dull version.  Blues are particularly hard to bleach.  Black is prettymuch impossible.

But – and if you have been following along – I had been using a vinegar etching technique on some brown eggs, and I wondered if it would remove dye.  So I tried it on a large oval brooch piece with the Rosette design on a black background.  I poured some undiluted white vinegar into a small bowl with the shell piece inside, enough to cover the surface.  Let it stew for about 5 minutes, and then removed the shell piece and brushed it lightly with a toothbrush under running water.

Voila!  It worked way better than the bleach, AND it did not fry my fingers to a chemical crisp!

The reason it works better, is that it actually removes a bit of the surface of the shell.  Whereas the bleach tries to alter the color.   And, of course, the wax is still protecting the design, so the only thing that gets altered is the un-waxed areas.

I was so pleased, I went back to all my (hundreds!) of finished pieces to see if I wanted any more with a white background.  Only found a few, but – like I said – next batch I’ll work with the technique a little more.

So, I learned a few things with this experiment:  (1) The dyes only penetrate the very surface of the eggshell, previously, I thought the dye saturated the shell.  (2) The dye remains in the little eggshell dimples and makes an interesting spotty effect that enhances the surface pattern.  And,  (3) Buy more white vinegar.

~Nan

I have been making jewelry like crazy these past two months, shooting for a release date of March 1. And I would love to have a few pieces ready for Valentines Day, but don’t hold me to that.

So (since I don’t feel entirely productive unless I’m double-tasking), I thought I’d shoot a few pictures while I was working so you get an idea of what all goes into creating these little pieces of wearable art.

First I start with a clean ostrich shell. I can use broken shells instead of whole ones, which saves me a bit in materials cost.  By the way – I purchase my ostrich shells locally from Floeck’s Country Ranch an ostrich farm in Tucumcari, New Mexico.  They have nice healthy birds that produce wonderful strong shelled eggs.  I am so pleased with the quality, I thought I’d link them here.

But OK, on with the blog . . .

Using a plastic drafting template, I draw the outline of the jewelry piece directly on to the shell with a pencil. I try and fit in as many pieces as I can, while avoiding fractures in the shell, and any defects on the surface.

After I have the shell mapped out, I cut the pieces out with a diamond cutting wheel attached to a Dremel Rotary Tool,  being careful to leave cutting room around each piece. Note: If you are going to try this – be sure and wear face and eye protection. Meaning safety goggles and a good particle (dust) mask while you are cutting the shells.  You don’t want to breathe in the eggshell dust, or get any flying pieces in your eyes.

Next, I start the design process. Drawing lightly with a pencil, I sketch out the basic design. Then, with a wax pen (kistka) I draw the edge of the jewelry piece, and any part of the design that is to remain white.

I continue with the wax and dye design – dipping the shell piece in dye, and then waxing over the area where I want that color. More dye, more wax, layer on layer, until the design is finished. And I have multicolored fingers.

I can then remove the wax by soaking it in a jar of naphtha until the wax is dissolved, rubbing the excess wax off with a tissue until the design underneath is revealed.

Giving the front side a light coat of varnish (rubbed on with my finger) to protect the color, it is now ready for epoxy fill.

Mixing small batches of two-part tabletop epoxy, I drop a small amount on to the back of the shell piece, and spread it around with a clean popsicle stick (or something similar) until the epoxy coats the back surface, and pools in the cup.

I set them on a rack, as shown, and tip the shell piece to center the epoxy so it cures nice and level in the shell.  I place the rack in a warm spot and place a plastic bin over it, to keep in the heat and prevent dust from adhering to the epoxy. This particular epoxy has to cure for two days.  Short-time cure epoxy’s are not as hard and  I want a glass-like surface.

I picked a clear tabletop epoxy for optimum hardness, and so my signature shows through.

And for now, I’m in waiting mode. The pieces are curing, and they should be ready for more cutting tomorrow.